Getting Unclaimed Funds

The Problem: States are sitting on some $15 billion in unclaimed money -- dormant savings accounts, forgotten utility deposits and the like -- and some of it may be yours.

The Solution: Most states are required to collect these funds from banks and other companies, but not to track down the rightful owners. So you have to do a little legwork. Each state keeps a list of people who are owed money -- in all, about one-in-eight Americans, across all income levels and regions. To see if you're among them, go to...